


My Heart is Mayhem

by teokkityun



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, Fear of Thunderstorms, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Huening Kai Is The Sun, Lots of it, M/M, Pining, Prince Kang Taehyun, side yeonbin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-03-01 02:58:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18791599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teokkityun/pseuds/teokkityun
Summary: Crown Prince Kang Taehyun knows what he's supposed to do with his life. He's supposed to reach 20 years old, fall in love with a beautiful princess, get married, succeed the throne, and live a long and happy life with his wife and their (at minimum!) two children, before eventually passing the rule of the country to his eldest son when he comes of age. He knows what's expected of him. He has it all set out for him.What he's not supposed to do is fall hopelessly in love with the son of the court jester, one of his best friends since childhood. But in his defence... who could possibly resist that smile?





	1. From the way you smile to the way you look

**Author's Note:**

> HEYYO so not only is this my first TXT fic but its the first fic I've written in... 2 and a half years??? wrow,, anyhoO I started writing this fic because I have an absolutely endless supply of love for our beloved adorable maknae line in my heart and I've been absolutely whipped for them ever since their talk x today namsan date..!! TvT I've promised myself that I WILL finish writing this fic, but I can't promise how often or regular updates will be. A special lil s/o to my taening moots on twt who always encourage me to keep writing this!! ilysm <3 
> 
> This fic is not beta read, so do forgive any mistakes ^v^ enjoy!

"Good morning, your highness." Taehyun nodded politely to the servants who greeted him as he made his way out of his room and down to the dining hall for breakfast. His eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for one person in particular. "Prince Taehyun," his bodyguard, Yeonjun, spoke up from beside him, mirth filtering through his voice though he tried to hide it, "If you're going to look for Huening Kai, at least make it a little less obvious." The corners of Taehyun's mouth curled upwards a little more. "Shhh," he whispered, holding a finger to his lips, "I'm just doing them the courtesy of greeting them all, Yeonjun. I don't know what you're talking about." Yeonjun laughed. "Yes, your highness," he replied teasingly, “I’m sure he’s missed you too.” Yeonjun had been Taehyun's bodyguard ever since Taehyun was a wee 9-year-old and Yeonjun was 12, and over the many years they had known each other, the pair had developed an unbreakable bond. They were inseparable, which was partly because it was Yeonjun's duty and obligation to follow Taehyun at all times to ensure the crown prince's safety, and partly because the pair of best friends were practically joined at the hip anyway. Taehyun opened his mouth, ready to retort with a feisty comeback about respecting one’s superiors, but his train of thought was abruptly interrupted upon hearing a familiar voice echo down the corridor, considerably louder and brighter than any other voice in the palace.

 

“Prince Taehyun!!” the voice shouted excitedly. The owner of the voice - a tall, thin boy with a mess of short, gorgeous dark curls falling from his head, and a smile that seemed to shine even brighter than the sun - sprinted towards them at top speed, and came to a screeching halt just a few centimetres away from Taehyun. He grinned down at the shorter boy, laughter bubbling out from between his lips when he saw the way Taehyun’s eyes went wide with surprise and joy. “Long time no see, your highness,” the boy laughed, still slightly breathless from his little sprint.

 

Taehyun found himself breathless too, but for an entirely different reason.

 

“...Long time no see, Kai.”

 

Huening Kai was the son of the Royal Jester, a man whom the King himself held dear and considered a trustworthy friend. Though the boy had been born in the same village the Jester came from, he moved to the palace at a young age with his father. He was the same age as Taehyun, and grew up alongside Taehyun and Yeonjun in the palace. He was the final puzzle piece to complete their trio. Much like his father, the boy was charismatic, charming, and had a talent for making the people around him smile and laugh. He had an infectious bubbly energy about him that Taehyun found addicting. A year ago, the boy had left the palace with his father on a journey back to the village they came from. The King had agreed to the Jester’s request to go home with his son and spend a year with his wife and family, whom he hadn’t seen in years.

 

_“Kai… you’re going?”_

 

_“I don’t think I have a choice, your highness,” Kai replied, apologetically. “His majesty decreed that I return home with my father for one year.”_

 

_“A whole year…” Taehyun deflated sadly. A whole year without Kai’s bright presence lighting up the corridors of the palace. A whole year without Kai’s stupid jokes and infectious laughter. A whole year without-_

 

_“Hey…” Taehyun looked up when he felt Kai gently tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. The curly-haired boy smiled at him, and it was the softest, gentlest smile Taehyun had ever seen on the other boy’s face. For some reason he didn’t quite understand, it took his breath away.  “It’s just one year, okay? One year’s not forever. I’ll be back before you know it! I promise-” Taehyun flinched then laughed when Kai swept his hand out from where it was nestled behind Taehyun’s ear and gave the prince a playful tap on the nose. “You’ll never even realise I was gone, Taehyun.”_

 

_Taehyun._

 

_Kai hadn’t called him by his first name alone since they were children._

 

_“...Promise you’ll write to me.”_

 

_“Of course! As often as I can. Once a month. No, once a week. Nah, once a day!”_

 

_Taehyun laughed, loud and happy. “I think once a day is a bit much, Kai.”_

 

_“A bit much? There’s no such thing when it comes to you!”_

 

Kai beamed at Taehyun and the prince felt a thousand butterflies come to life at once in his stomach. “I’ve missed you, Prince!” Before Taehyun could respond, Yeonjun piped up, “Not as much as he’s missed you, that’s for sure.” Without even turning to look, Taehyun whipped his hand out and smacked Yeonjun in the torso, eliciting a rather satisfying grunt of pain from the older boy. Kai laughed, and the butterflies went into a frenzy, fluttering here and there and everywhere, filling the prince with fuzzy warmth and a buzzing energy from the inside out.

 

“You’ve grown so much taller! This is so unfair, stop it,” Taehyun protested, reaching a hand up to ruffle Kai’s curly locks, as if doing so would make the boy any shorter. “I’m all grown up now, Prince,” Kai winked, his eyes sparkling with mischief and pride at the fact that he was no longer the shortest of the trio, which he had been for years. Taehyun felt his heart skip a beat.

 

_“Yeonjun,” Taehyun mumbled quietly one rare afternoon when he was free of obligations and duties and had asked the older boy to follow him out to the gardens so they could have tea and a chat with each other, “What does it mean if you can’t stop thinking about somebody?”_

 

_“Your highness, wh-” Yeonjun stopped mid-sentence when Taehyun nudged his knee with his own. “Drop it,” he said, “We’re alone. No one else is around.” Yeonjun understood immediately, but still swivelled his head around to make sure that they were really alone. “...Taehyun,” he started again, once he was sure that no one else would be around to hear him address the crown prince so informally, “I’m gonna need you to elaborate.”_

 

_“There’s… this person, Yeonjun. They’re so bright and warm and whenever they’re around me I immediately want to smile more, and laugh more, and I feel this kind of magnetic pull towards them you know? It’s like.. like a fly being drawn towards fire. Like Icarus being drawn towards the sun. Even though I know that person shines brighter than I could ever hope to, and I shouldn’t hope to be the one who belongs by their side, I can’t help wanting to be as close to them as possible. You know?” Taehyun took a deep breath. Yeonjun said nothing, simply sat quietly and watched the prince’s face as he spilled the feelings he had kept swirling around inside his heart for what had felt like an eternity, though in truth it had only been about a month. “And- and I never realised I felt this strongly about this person before. Not until now. I don’t know how it took me so long to realise it, but I guess.. It just never really hit me how precious they are to me until suddenly right now I don’t have them around me all the time anymore. And I can’t stop thinking about them. About how much I miss their smile, their jokes, the way they smelled like honey and toast all the time, the warmth of their hands, the sound of their laughter… Yeonjun, what does it all mean?” The prince looked up at the older boy, the look in his eyes begging for an answer, even if he already knew what it was._

 

_“...Well,” Yeonjun replied slowly, after considering all the heartfelt truth the younger boy had just entrusted him with, “Usually, it means you’re in love with them, Taehyun.”_

 

_The quiet, sharp inhale paired with the way Taehyun’s eyebrows pressed together gently told Yeonjun that the wise younger boy had, in truth, already known the answer. “Taehyun…” Yeonjun murmured, softly, as he connected the dots in his brain, the whole picture beginning to come to light slowly. Laughter. Warmth. Smiles. Honey and toast. The brightness of the sun._

 

_“Is this about Huening Kai?”_

 

_Taehyun’s silence and refusal to meet Yeonjun’s eye was all the answer he needed._

 

Love.

 

Kang Taehyun was in love.

 

Huening Kai was back and Kang Taehyun was so, so in love. Kai was a force of nature. As bright as the sun, as free as the breeze through the trees, as gentle as birdsong and twice as beautiful. Not one thing about that had changed over the past year. Taehyun felt as if he’d been waiting years for him to return, his whole life even, and every ounce of his body ached to throw himself into Kai’s arms, hold him tight, and stay there forever. He wanted to take Kai’s hands in his own and tell him how much he missed him, wanted to squish his cheeks and boop his nose and hold his face and kiss him silly-

 

But he couldn’t.

 

He was the prince. What would people say if they saw him? What would the other servants say, what would they tell his father? What would his father do to Kai if he found out Taehyun was in love with him? Cold fear raced through Taehyun’s blood at the thought of Kai being placed in a position of danger because of his own stupid, uncontrollable feelings. Taehyun pulled his hand away from Kai’s head like he had been burned. What would Kai think? What if he never wanted to speak to him again? What if he would hate him? Taehyun’s heart thudded in his chest, suddenly fearful and unsure.

 

The thoughts swirling in his head came to a screeching halt when he felt Kai take his hand gently. “Prince? Is something wrong?” The concern etched into the taller boy’s beautiful features made Taehyun’s heart squeeze. But then all of a sudden Kai pouted. “You’re not unhappy that I came back, are you?” he asked, like a big baby. Taehyun found himself smiling before he even realised it. It was like Kai’s very presence was a healing balm, a soothing river that washed away Taehyun’s insecurities and fears and stresses. How could he ever be upset, when he had Kai next to him? “No, no, of course not! It’s just…” Taehyun laughed as he looked away from Kai’s face, down at their intertwined hands, because his heart wasn’t strong enough to survive maintaining eye contact with Kai while he told him, “I’ve missed you so much.”

 

“Awww, Prince!!” Kai cooed, while Yeonjun laughed and groaned, “Get a room, you two.” Taehyun laughed as he raised his head to look at Kai again. His cheeks were flushed pink but he didn’t really care, the whole world could fall apart at any moment and it would be just fine because Kai was still right there, holding onto his hand, and grinning at him like they were the only two people on earth. And it was at that moment when Kai lifted Taehyun’s hand to his lips, and ever so playfully, kissed it. The kiss seared through Taehyun’s skin and straight down into his bones, set his cheeks ablaze, and made his lungs absolutely malfunction. Breathing? What was that like again? All Taehyun could process was the sound of Kai’s loud, beautiful laughter, and Yeonjun yelling, “OH MY GOD, I SAID GET A ROOM!!”

 

“Kai!” came a shout then, from a voice that Taehyun didn’t recognise, “There you are, I couldn’t find you anywhere! God, please don’t run away like that all of a sudden, we literally JUST got here today, and I-” The tall (very tall) boy came to a screeching halt a few steps away from them when Kai turned around to face him and he finally saw who Kai had been talking to. His eyes went wide with surprise and his jaw dropped as he stared at the crown prince of their kingdom, there, in the flesh. He blinked a few times, as if processing the whole situation, before immediately dropping into a low bow and greeting, “Your highness!” “No need to be so formal, stand up,” Taehyun told him, and the boy slowly did as he was told, looking extremely stressed. “I apologise, your highness, I didn’t realise you were talking to Kai,” he said, fidgeting slightly, guilt written all over his face. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anythi-”

 

“Soobin hyung!” Kai interrupted him, grinning, “What great timing! These are the friends I was telling you about on the way here that I wanted to introduce you to! Prince, Yeonjun hyung, this is my friend from the village, Soobin! Starting tomorrow, he’ll be working here in the palace as one of the royal chefs. Soobin hyung, these are my best friends, Taehyun and Yeonjun!” “Huening Kai,” Soobin spoke slowly, looking as if he was ready to grab Kai and fling him across the corridor, “You know, you never quite exactly explained to me that your ‘friends from the palace’ were, quite specifically, _the crown prince and his bodyguard_.” Kai laughed and stuck his tongue out at Soobin playfully. “Oops!” he said, sounding absolutely unapologetic. But before Soobin could say something back, Yeonjun took a step towards the him, and the taller boy’s attention immediately snapped from Kai to the silver haired bodyguard.

 

“Hi,” Yeonjun said, and Taehyun almost choked. What was with that deep velvety tone?? Yeonjun extended his hand for Soobin to shake, which he did. “I’m Choi Soobin,” he introduced himself again, despite the fact that Kai had already made the introductions on all their behalves. “I’m Choi Yeonjun,” Yeonjun replied, “But you can call me yours.” This time Taehyun really did choke, but so did Soobin. The taller boy’s neck and ears went pink in a split second, and he gasped loudly before pulling his hand out of Yeonjun’s grasp to slap it over his own mouth in embarrassment. “I- uh- um- I- that’s- I have to go to the kitchen!! Please excuse me!” Soobin yelled out, before turning around and speed walking right back the same way he had come. “Wait!” Yeonjun called out and Soobin paused, turning around. “The kitchen is,” Yeonjun pointed his thumb behind him, “that way.” Soobin nodded, flushing redder still. “Yes. I knew that. I did. Of course I did.”

 

Taehyun burst out laughing, and so did Kai right next to him. He wanted to hold his hand again, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want Kai to find out. The kiss had probably just been for fun. It probably didn’t mean anything. He already knew that, but still… Taehyun ran his other thumb over the top of his hand, where the skin still felt like it was on fire.

 

He couldn’t help but hope that it might have meant something more.


	2. I'll keep you safe and hold you forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha ha ha only took me (checks watch) TWO MONTHS to update ch2 and its shorter than i intended BUT i needed to publish SOMETHING to motivate myself to continue and finish this au SO PLEASE,, ACCEPT
> 
> (p.s. black haired beomgyu says hi ;3)

It had been about three weeks since he returned, and Huening Kai was driving Taehyun crazy. 

 

Well, okay. It wasn’t really his fault that his presence alone was often more than enough to fluster the usually cool and composed prince. Once, when Taehyun had been working on a set of mathematical equations that his tutor had set for him, Kai appeared out of nowhere and asked, “Hey, Prince, what’s your favourite math sum?” Confused, the prince simply blinked at him and mumbled, “Huh?” Kai’s eyes had glinted with what looked like a mixture of mischievousness and confidence before he winked and said, “Because mine is Me + You.” Taehyun hadn’t been able to do any more maths at all that afternoon, because his brain had decided to stop cooperating with him after hearing that statement. 

 

_(Friends.)_

 

Another time, Kai had asked for a sip of Taehyun’s tea. After drinking, he’d put the cup down and gasped, “Prince! That was an indirect kiss!” Taehyun just laughed and shoved him lightly on the shoulder. “What are you, seven?” he asked, ignoring the way his heart was screaming at him. “Yeah,” Kai replied, grinning, “On a scale of one to five.” 

 

Taehyun didn’t deny it.

 

_(Just friends.)_

 

Yet another time, Kai had dragged Taehyun and Yeonjun along with him to the kitchens to pay Soobin a visit. (Yeonjun had been more than happy to agree.) “Soobin hyung~! What’cha making?” Kai asked, already reaching a hand out to steal one of the freshly-baked muffins sitting on a large cooling rack. But before he could snatch it, someone else smacked his hand away. Kai pouted, upset. “Beomgyu hyung~” he whined, “Just let me have _one_ muffin.” 

 

The older boy standing between Kai and the tray of fresh, delectable, tempting muffins narrowed his eyes and ran a hand through his black hair, his forehead glistening slightly with sweat. “No,” Beomgyu, one of the chefs, a friendly and energetic person who’d become friends with the prince less than a week after he’d joined them as an apprentice a few years back because he kept letting the prince steal snacks from the kitchens, replied curtly, “These aren’t for you, Kai, hands off.” But then he noticed Taehyun staring wide-eyed at the tray of muffins, mouth hanging just slightly open but too distracted by the baked goods to notice. A huff of laughter escaped Beomgyu’s lips, and Taehyun turned his attention to the black-haired boy, lips beginning to curl into a smile. “Alright, Prince,” Beomgyu chuckled, picking up a muffin and holding it out for Taehyun to take, “You’re an exception.” Taehyun’s eyes lit up as he took the muffin from Beomgyu eagerly, breathing in the warm, sweet scent of blueberries, butter and sugar, before taking a bite. Kai let out a sound of protest, jumping up and down in place. “Beomgyu hyung, that’s not fair! If the Prince can have one, why can’t I?” he insisted. Beomgyu laughed and rolled his eyes. “He’s the Prince, Kai, he can do whatever he wants. _You_ , on the other hand, can have a muffin when you get off your butt and learn how to make one yourself.” 

 

Kai crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled, “But the only thing I know how to make is honey toast…” Beomgyu leaned forward, grinning, and tapped Kai on the nose. The younger boy flinched, just a little. “Well then,” Beomgyu teased, “I guess you won’t be eating any muffins for a long, long while.” Taehyun burst out laughing at the downright betrayed look on Kai’s face. He tried to ignore the way his heart sped up against his will as he held his muffin out towards Kai. “You can have one bite,” Taehyun offered, good-naturedly. Kai’s face lit up and Taehyun felt his heart stutter in his chest as the taller boy happily took a bite of his muffin. Kai shot a smug look at Beomgyu, who simply rolled his eyes in amusement and went back to cracking eggs into a large bowl. “ _Ha. Fhake thaf,_ ” Kai said, his words muffled by a mouthful of muffin, “ _Fhe pwinf wovth me._ ” 

 

Taehyun very nearly choked on his own mouthful of muffin.

 

“Pardon?” Beomgyu asked, but Taehyun had understood him loud and clear. He just hoped to whatever god might have been up there that his cheeks wouldn’t betray him in that moment. Kai swallowed, before repeating, “I said; Ha, take that. The prince loves me!” He said it so proudly, so easily, with all the confidence in the world. Like he truly believed it.

 

“Eughh, stop being gross in the kitchens!” Yeonjun called out. Kai turned to face the older boy and burst out laughing. “You know, hyung,” he said, “I’d take that a lot more seriously if you weren’t currently draped over Soobin hyung like an oversized koala.” Yeonjun pouted and tightened his arms around Soobin, who, despite the sounds of embarrassment spluttering out of his mouth and the redness of his ears, didn’t seem to mind.

 

It had been such a casual comment, but Kai’s words wouldn’t stop ringing in Taehyun’s head. 

 

_(Just… friends?)_

 

…Really, Huening Kai was going to be the cause of Kang Taehyun’s early death. Taehyun was going to go down in history as That One Crown Prince Who Never Succeeded The Throne Because He Died An Early Death Due To Crush-Induced Heart Palpitations. What a way to be remembered. 

 

And now here he was, lying awake in his bed at an ungodly hour of the night, unable to fall asleep because his head was too full of thoughts of a certain curly-haired boy who kept on making Taehyun question where the boundaries of their friendship lay. He couldn’t help questioning what Kai’s actions meant. How badly he wanted to believe that the younger boy might have feelings for Taehyun, but… He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to have them crushed horribly if he was wrong.

 

A flash of lightning darted across the night sky, and moments later came a thundering boom that echoed around the too-spacious bedroom. Taehyun wasn’t fazed - thunderstorms had never scared him as long as he was indoors. What couldn’t hit him couldn’t hurt him, he’d always figured. The pitter-patter of rain against his window began to fall and the sound was somewhat soothing; anything was better than the stifling silence that Taehyun had been lying in moments before, accompanied by nothing but the thoughts that crowded his mind. The sky flashed white again for a few seconds, then came another crack of thunder, this one loud enough to rattle the glass of the window panes. “Waaahh…” Taehyun murmured quietly to himself. At least the storm was helping to distract him from Huening Kai. 

 

At that very moment, there came three knocks against his door in quick succession. “Prince,” came the voice of one of his nighttime guards, muffled slightly through the door, “You have a visitor. Would you like to see him?” Taehyun sat up in bed, his brows furrowing together in confusion. It was past midnight, who would be at his door at this hour, and why? “Who is it?” he asked, curious. 

 

“Prince?” came another voice. Oh. That voice was unmistakable. 

 

“Let him in,” Taehyun ordered. The door swung open slowly, and Huening Kai shuffled into his room, arms wrapped tightly around the large bunny stuffed toy that he’d owned for as long as Taehyun could remember. “Kai, what’s up?” Taehyun asked, trying to push aside the way his heartbeat was picking up just from being in Kai’s presence. Kai sat down quietly on the edge of Taehyun’s bed as the guards closed the door behind him. The silence hung heavily between them for a few long moments as Taehyun waited for Kai’s answer, before finally, Kai mumbled something under his breath that Taehyun couldn’t quite catch. “What was-” Taehyun furrowed his brows, leaning in closer to the younger boy, “Could you repeat that? I didn’t manage to-”

 

Suddenly, a streak of lightning flashed viciously across the sky, followed mere milliseconds after by a sickening crack of thunder. Taehyun blinked, slightly startled, but Kai seemed to jump nearly a metre into the air at the sound. Rapidly, he scrambled to Taehyun’s side, latched defensively onto his right arm, and gripped onto it as if it were a lifeline. It hurt a little, but Taehyun was more concerned about the shaking boy next to him than the blood circulation in his arm. “Kai?” he asked, worry clear in his voice, “What’s-”

 

“I said,” Kai cut him off, louder this time, “I’m afraid of thunderstorms.” Oh. Oh. That would explain why the taller boy seemed so terrified all of a sudden. The feeling of Kai’s body trembling next to his made Taehyun’s heart ache. “Hey,” Taehyun whispered, shifting such that he could pull Kai into his arms and begin tracing comforting circles onto his back, “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, Kai. I’m right here. I’ve got you. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? I promise.” Slowly, Kai nodded, wrapping his arms around Taehyun’s torso and squeezing it. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other tight, their limbs entangled comfortably under the warm, soft blankets, until Taehyun felt Kai’s breathing begin to slow to a steady rhythm.

 

“Kai?” Taehyun whispered. No response. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that he had been able to provide the other boy with enough of a sense of comfort and peace to lull him to sleep. He turned to look down at Kai’s sleeping face, and god, he really did look so adorable when he was asleep. Like a baby lamb, so precious and beautiful, lying there in his arms. Like an angel, right there beside him on earth. 

 

Taehyun could feel his eyelids beginning to droop, getting heavier and heavier. He yawned and snuggled against Kai’s warm body, and moments before he closed his eyes, sure of the fact that the other boy was fast asleep, he whispered, “Good night, Huening Kai. I love you.”

 

And because Taehyun fell asleep nearly as soon as his eyes closed, he didn’t hear the curly-haired boy whisper back, 

 

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hmu anytime on twt @tyunningprint!!! my soft hours for taening r always [open]


End file.
